// Ikea and Shelter launch ‘Real Life Roomsets’ in London, Manchester, Birmingham & Bristol stores to highlight the realities of homelessness
// The four roomsets are located in stores near cities experiencing some of the worst levels of homelessness in the country
Ikea and its national charity partner Shelter have unveiled ‘Real Life Roomsets’, highlighting the conditions that an increasing number of people who are experiencing homelessness are forced to experience when living in temporary accommodation.
The roomsets, which can be found in four Ikea stores across the UK, contrast the Swedish furniture giant‘s famously well-designed showrooms – showing the cramped, dangerous, and grotty spaces many are forced to reside in, based on real stories of people local to the stores involved.
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Ikea and Shelter’s research shows that over 11 million adults in the UK are worried about losing their current home, while half (49%) say that if they lost their current home, they would struggle to find somewhere else to live.
It comes as part of the retailer and Shelter’s campaign demanding for 90,000 social homes to be built a year by 2030, as over two-thirds (69%) of adults in the UK agree more social housing needs to be built.
The four roomsets are located in stores near cities experiencing some of the worst levels of homelessness in the country
- London: where 1 in 58 people are experiencing homelessness
- Manchester: where 1 in 74 people are experiencing homelessness
- Birmingham: where 1 in 80 people are experiencing homelessness
- Bristol: where 1 in 183 people are experiencing homelessness
Ikea UK & Ireland Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer Peter Jelkeby said: “The focus on building ‘affordable’ homes rather than social housing is a distraction from finding a real solution to the housing emergency, which currently relies on the unsuitable provision of temporary accommodation where families are being forced to live in uninhabitable and unacceptable conditions.
“At IKEA, we believe that everyone deserves a place to call home, which is why we’re so proud to partner with Shelter in demanding for long-term change, whilst also helping those directly affected by the housing emergency in our local communities.”
Shelter chief executive Polly Neate said: “A grotty hostel or B&B is not a home, but this is the reality for too many families stuck in temporary accommodation. That’s why we’re working with IKEA to show the grim living situations that families who become homeless are having to face – from having no space for children to do homework or play, to having to share beds, to being moved miles away from schools and support networks.
“With rents at an all-time high and no end to the cost of living crisis in sight, we’re desperately worried that more people are going to become homeless this year. The solution to this crisis is simple and it’s staring the government in the face: we must build a new generation of good quality social housing that people can actually afford to live in.”
The stories being told as part of the campaign can be found HERE.
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